


One-Shot City

by SouthernBoy



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AUs on AUs, F/M, Lots of one-shots, Maybe I'll expand a few into longer fics if y'all want it, More characters as I write more, Reimagined movie scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-07-16 18:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7279153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthernBoy/pseuds/SouthernBoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I watch a lot of shows and movies and wondered how our favourite scientists would fit in with different story lines.  It turns out, quite well!</p><p>These are a bunch of one-shots in different AUs that may turn into longer fics if y'all like 'em.  Hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoyed writing them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The People's Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lawyer!Fitz and DeputyDA!Simmons going at it in Judge Coulson's courtroom. Who wins? We do, of course!

“Objection, Your Honour!” Fitz cried out, jumping to his feet. “The prosecution is clearly badgering my witness!”

Simmons let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. “Your Honour, I am doing no such thing. The witness is clearly having trouble responding to my questions because she is not being forthright with the court.”

“Not being forthright? Are you accusing my witness of perjury?”

“If the shoe fits…”

Judge Coulson took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes as Fitz and Simmons continued their arguing. He silently cursed the clerk for adding this case to his overloaded docket then cursed the District Attorney’s office for assigning Deputy D.A. Jemma Simmons to the case. Once it became public knowledge that Simmons was prosecuting a case, it only was a matter of time until Fitz was hired to represent the defendant.

Simmons gestured wildly at Fitz as their verbal sparring continued. “If only you had a better argument, Fitz, you wouldn’t feel so insecure with the defense you’re attempting to present. I expected better from you.”

Fitz scoffed, “Oh, real mature, Simmons. Are you still angry at me for getting Mike Peterson acquitted because your medical examiners don’t know how to collect DNA evidence?”

“Counselors! Enough! My chambers now!” Judge Coulson bellowed as he left the courtroom.

“All rise!” the Bailiff, Lance Hunter, instructed as he smirked at Fitz. “You two have really done it now. Let me know how it goes later over a few pints.”

Simmons shook her head at Hunter. “Really, Lance?” Hunter cringed at the usage of his first name and quickly motioned the two towards Judge Coulson’s chambers.

As Fitz and Simmons walked through the hall, Simmons turned towards Fitz and glared at him in disdain. “Look what you’ve done now, Fitz.”

“What I did? How is this on me? I’m not the one treating witnesses like a six year-old who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar!”

Simmons rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time since the morning began. “Let’s just get through the tongue lashing Coulson is going to give us then we can get back to more important business at hand.”

Fitz huffed in agreement and the pair walked in silence until they entered Judge Coulson’s chambers. Judge Coulson stood behind his desk and gestured Fitz and Simmons to the leather chairs before him.

“What I can’t figure out for the life of me is how two brilliant young minds as yourselves can’t help but bicker every time they step in a courtroom together,” Judge Coulson mused.

Fitz and Simmons shifted uncomfortably in their chairs before Fitz spoke up. “Sir, we only bicker because Deputy D.A. Simmons is wrong as soon as she steps into the courtroom.”

Simmons spun in her seat and bore her eyes into Fitz’s. “Excuse me, Fitz? Was that a poor attempt at a joke to cover your own shortcomings as a litigator?” Simmons paused for a moment before turning to face  
Judge Coulson, smoothing out her skirt. “I should have known you still harboured resentment since law school when I was offered the Deputy D.A. position over you.”

Fitz looked down at a miniature model of a candy apple red 1962 Corvette sitting on Judge Coulson’s desk and mumbled under his breath, “I was offered Deputy D.A., but I turned them down. I told District Attorney May that you were the better fit.”

Judge Coulson cleared his throat and quickly spoke as he left his chambers, “Let me give you two some privacy. We’ll resume after lunch.”

Once the door latched, Fitz and Simmons turned their heads towards each other. Fitz’s face was beet red and his right leg twitched with nervous energy, waiting for Simmons to speak. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Simmons finally found the courage to speak.

“What were you saying before Coulson left, Fitz?” Simmons asked softly.

“D.A. May offered me the deputy position… but I told her no. I knew you were the better fit, Simmons. You love following the rules. It makes you feel nice. You’re always willing to help people and never shy away from doing the right thing. I was always impressed at how smart you were and how easily you argued law against our classmates in moot court.” Fitz stopped himself, suddenly worried he said too much.

Simmons regarded Fitz carefully and waited until Fitz met her gaze. “You gave up one of the best opportunities any of us were offered at Harvard for me? But, I thought you hated me? You would never speak to me!”

Fitz shook his head, “No, no. I didn’t hate you. I just wanted to impress you by saying something smart, but I never could. I would always get too nervous around you and clam up. So, I thought the best way to impress you was to go head to head with you in court. I thought you’d notice me then.”

“That’s what this has been for the last 3 years, Fitz? Arguing so I’d pay attention to you?”

“No, I was just defending my clients. I meant that being a respectable opponent for you in the courtroom might have made up for not talking to you at Harvard. I guess I mucked that up, too.”

Fitz started to stand up when Simmons grabbed his forearm and pulled him back down into his chair. He looked at her in confusion as he sat down again.

“I always noticed you, Fitz. Why do you think I always tried to talk to you our entire time in law school? Why do you think I never asked for reassignment once you’re hired to represent defendants? Why do you  
think I’m going to kiss you right now?”

“You’re going to wha…mmmh” Fitz started to say before Simmons’s lips silenced his question. Once Fitz recovered from the initial shock, he moved his lips in sync with Simmons’s as they shared a kiss years in the making.

Simmons pulled back from their passionate kiss and placed her left hand on the side of his face. “Do you ever shut up, Counselor?”

“If it’ll please the court.” Fitz smirked at Simmons.

“Ugh, Fitz!” Simmons giggled as Fitz kissed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you catch my Lola reference? Let me know what you think or if there's another AU you'd like to see!


	2. I'll Be There For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Friends inspired AU. Rachel!Jemma and Ross!Fitz. Why? Cuz you're there for me too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I had to. And cuz you're there for me too.

“Oh! My! God! Jemma! I found your dad’s video of us from senior prom!” Daisy shouted from her bedroom.

Jemma turned from the pot she was stirring and rolled her eyes. “Daisy? Did you steal that video from my father?”

Daisy’s head appeared around her bedroom doorframe. “Of course not! When he helped us move in, he gave me a copy as a gift. Told me to use it to embarrass you sometime. I completely forgot about it until I dug it out from the back of my closest.”

“Surely you aren’t planning on showing it tonight as some sort of sick and twisted version of after-dinner entertainment?”

A slow smile spread across Daisy’s face as she listened to Jemma’s question. “Absolutely not. Why wait until after dinner?”

“Daisy!” Jemma yelled as Daisy’s head disappeared and her bedroom door shut.

Over the next hour, Jemma and Daisy’s group of friends began to show up. The first to arrive was Bobbi followed shortly by her on-again/off-again boyfriend Hunter complaining about the lack of street parking available in Manhattan. A half hour later, Daisy’s adoptive brother Fitz and his roommate Mack walked in carrying a few bottles of wine and a case of beer. Hunter shouted appreciatively as Mack tossed him a beer from the front door.

“Cheers mate! Was worried you boys wouldn’t show and leave me with a room full of birds for the evening,” Hunter said as he opened his beer and took a long swig.

Mack chuckled and tossed a beer over his shoulder to Fitz who caught it easily. “Smells good, Jemma. What do you have cooking?”

Jemma beamed at Mack as she smoothed out her cherry red apron. “Nothing special, just Shephard’s Pie. It’s a family recipe passed down from my mum’s side. I thought I’d give you guys a taste of proper English fare.”

“Oi, Fitzy! You’re a lucky lad tonight, Shephard’s Pie trumps anything you Scots call food,” Hunter teased as he finished off his beer.

Fitz tossed Hunter another beer after he cracked his own open. “I’m sure it’s delicious, Jemma. In fact, I’ve had a hankering for a classic English supper.”

Jemma smiled shyly at Fitz’s compliment. “Thank you, Fitz, but save your judgment until you’ve actually tasted it. It’s still going to take a few more minutes before everything is ready but please make yourself at home.”

As Fitz and Mack made their way to the couch, Daisy snuck off to her bedroom to retrieve her rediscovered treasure. She walked back into the living room with a devilish smile on her face.

“May I have your attention please? Now that we’re all here and have drinks in hand, I figured we could do with some before dinner entertainment. Please sit back and enjoy Jemma Simmons and Daisy Johnson’s high school senior prom video!” Daisy announced as she popped the DVD into the player.

Hunter, Bobbi, and Mack cheered while Jemma blushed a deep red. Fitz stiffened in his seat and almost dropped his beer when Daisy mentioned the senior prom video. He had forgotten that Jemma’s father was filming that afternoon on what was the most embarrassing day of his life.

Daisy pressed play and dove into her chair next to the couch, giving her a perfect view of Jemma to gauge her reaction as the video played.

_The first few minutes of the video were of Daisy and Jemma goofing off as they did each other’s hair and makeup while Jemma’s mother fussed over the two of them. Fitz and Daisy’s mum, Brenda, appeared holding their dresses she sewed while Fitz carried their mum’s sewing kit just in case last minute alterations were required. Daisy ran over and hugged Fitz as she squealed in delight._

_“FITZ! You’re back? I thought you weren’t coming home for another week!” Daisy cried out, giving Fitz a kiss on the cheek._

_Fitz smiled at his younger sister. “And miss all of this? You couldn’t keep me away. Plus, I need to have a talk with your date before he leaves with my little sister.”_

_Daisy slapped Fitz on the arm and teased, “You’ll do no such thing, big brother! Now shoo as we get dressed.”_

Fitz looked away from the TV screen and gave Daisy a pleading look but her focus was on the TV. Fitz then looked over at Jemma who was smiling and laughing at their younger selves in a much simpler time. The problem was Jemma didn’t know what the end of the video held. In fact, only he, his mum, and Jemma’s parents knew.

_Jemma walked over to Fitz and gave him a hug. “It’s good to see you again, Fitz! I want to hear all about university while you’re home for the summer. I’d ask to hear about it now, but you know. We’ve got prom to attend.”_

_“Oh it’s quite alright. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to catch up later,” Fitz said as he smiled at Jemma._

_“OK, only women allowed now!” Jemma’s mum admonished the men and the video cut out._

_When the video picked up, Jemma’s father, Harold, was repositioned at the bottom of the stairs and filmed Jemma’s descent into the foyer of the house. Jemma’s mum, Clara, and Brenda both cooed and showered Jemma with comments of how beautiful she looked. A minute later, Daisy descended and appeared in frame to the same fanfare Jemma received. The doorbell rang and the women all started to giggle loudly. Fitz and Harold could be heard chuckling as Fitz opened the door for Daisy’s date, Grant._

_“Hi, Daisy. Wow, you look absolutely beautiful,” Grant said as he gave Daisy a peck on the cheek._

_“Oh, Grant. Flattery will get you everywhere,” Daisy smiled back as Jemma’s phone buzzed._

_While Daisy, Grant, and the mums were occupied with pictures of the couple and the corsage, Jemma was on her phone texting furiously. All of the sudden, Jemma stamped her right foot down, causing everyone to focus on her._

_“What’s wrong Jems?” Daisy asked, rubbing her hand on Jemma’s arm._

_“Stupid Milton. He texted me saying that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go to prom with me anymore,” Jemma replied, tears starting to form._

_“What? That asshole. Well, it’s alright. If Milton, the cabbage head, doesn’t want to go to prom with you then I won’t go either. We’ll hang out here and have our own party.”_

_Grant stiffened hearing Daisy’s comment and mumbled under his breath, “I’m going to kill Milton.”_

_While Daisy, Jemma, and Grant were preoccupied with Milton’s last minute cancellation, Clara nudged her husband. The camera turned towards her who had a knowing look on her face._

_“I know exactly what you’re thinking, love,” Harold was heard saying. “Here take the camera and I’ll talk to him.”_

_The camera jostled as Clara took over recording duties and Harold appear in frame._

_“Fitz, come here for a moment, will you?”_

_Fitz walked into the foyer with a confused look on his face while Brenda shared the exact same look Clara had a few seconds before._

_“Fitz, I had an idea that I need your help with that would make Jemma feel better.”_

_Fitz’s face brightened up. “Sure, anything. What can I do?”_

_“Why don’t you take her to prom?”_

_Fitz sputtered and coughed at the suggestion. “Excuse me, sir? Did you ask me to take Jemma to prom? But I don’t even have a tuxedo?”_

_Harold chuckled. “Not to worry, my boy. You are about the same size I was about 20 years ago. I still have an old tuxedo you could wear. Think about it, Fitz. Right now, you’re the only one who can save her day. You’d be the hero. There’s no one else I’d rather Jemma go to the prom with.”_

_Brenda nodded in agreement. “Leo, this is a great idea. Now get your arse upstairs with Mr. Simmons and get that tuxedo on.”_

The video cut out again and everyone in the room turned to look at Fitz. Daisy’s jaw dropped as she looked between Fitz and Jemma. Hunter and Mack shared looks of bewilderment while Bobbi sat smirking at the blushing Scot. Jemma was waiting for Fitz to make eye contact with her, but Fitz just sat staring at the bottle of beer in his hands.

Fitz finally spoke up as he stood. “Sorry, I guess there was more on that video than I remembered. I think I should probably go.”

_The video cut back in with Fitz wearing Harold’s old tuxedo, which fit perfectly. Brenda was pinning the corsage to his jacket while Harold was brushing off a small piece of lint from Fitz’s shoulder._

_“You look dynamite, Fitz!” Harold said, proudly._

_“Yes, you look absolutely handsome,” Brenda agreed._

_“Now hurry downstairs and surprise Jemma!” Clara ordered from behind the camera._

_Fitz took a deep breath and took a step towards the staircase. His smile was undeniable and he walked with confidence and a sense of purpose. Before he put his hand on the bannister and turned to walk downstairs, the doorbell rang again. The camera looked down towards the staircase and Jemma’s smiling face appeared._

_“Milton changed his mind, Mum! Sorry, but we must be off to meet everyone for pictures and dinner. Thanks for everything and I’ll see you and Dad in the morning!” Jemma cheerfully called up the stairs._

_After the front door closed and the noise died down, the camera turned back to Fitz, whose arms and shoulders had dropped. His eyes and head slowly looked down. His mum walked over and whispered in Fitz’s ear as she rubbed his shoulders. Harold struggled to say something comforting to the young man whose confidence had shattered before him._

_“How do I turn the camera off? It keeps recording!” Clara struggled with the camera, the frame turning sideways before finally shutting off._

Again, everyone turned back towards Fitz. Daisy reached over and shut off the TV before sitting back in her seat, tears running down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Fitz. I didn’t know that happened. If I did, I never would have played that in front of everyone, much less kept a copy of the video.”

Fitz shook his head. “It’s OK, Daisy. You didn’t know. I was so embarrassed so I never told anyone. In fact, I swore Mum never to tell you.”

No one else spoke as everyone was waiting for Jemma’s reaction. She sat, looking down at her hands, which were fidgeting in her lap. Fitz let a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence pass before resuming his walk to the door.

“Please wait, Fitz,” Jemma said as she stood up.

Fitz stopped where he was but couldn’t turn back around to look at Jemma. Jemma walked towards Fitz and touched him softly on the back of his shoulder. Fitz turned around, apology ready, when Jemma wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply.

Fitz pulled back and asked, “Wait, what was that for?”

“You dolt, that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. I wish you had walked down the stairs a bit quicker so I wouldn’t have had to suffer that night with Milton. I would have had more fun at prom with you, Fitz.”

“Oh. Yes, well. I did have trouble adjusting your dad’s tuxedo pants. I kept tripping over the bellbottom hems.”

“Then you better get some practice in.”

Fitz cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “Why that?”

Jemma looked at Fitz as if the answer to his question was obvious to everyone. “Why? Because we’re going to redo my senior prom. Only this time, you get the girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	3. Who You Gonna Call?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought a Ghostbusters!AU would be perfect for Fitz. I think there's potential to expand this into a longer fic, but I wanted to see if anyone wanted more.

“Fitz! The Mayor’s Office is on the phone!” Daisy yelled from her desk.

Hunter, Mack, Trip, and Fitz’s heads snapped up from their respective desks to stare at Daisy and then turned to look at each other.

“Wonder what that could be about…” Fitz mused, running a hand through his curls.

Trip shot Mack a bemused look before smiling at Fitz. “Really, Fitz? You don’t think this could be him wanting to thank us for taking down the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? Plus, kids all throughout Manhattan had enough marshmallows to make ‘smores all summer!”

Fitz rolled his eyes as he made his way out of the door to Daisy’s desk in the open space of the old firehouse they leased. “Real funny, Trip. And don’t touch my twinkies!”

“I swear it wasn’t me, it was Daisy!” Trip called out. Daisy shrugged as she took a bite from one of Fitz’s twinkies, earning herself a groan of mock pain from Fitz.

“Fitz here,” Fitz said into the phone.

“Ah, Dr. Fitz! It’s Victoria Hand, Mayor Coulson’s Chief of Staff. We were hoping you and your team would be available to meet with us and a few of your esteemed academic colleagues to share information and develop more effective detection techniques,” Victoria said.

“Ms. Hand, please understand if I’m a bit hesitant to meet with the Mayor’s Office after how we were treated before we defeated the Marshmallow Man. And which esteemed colleagues were you referring to?” Fitz rubbed his eyes as he thought about how painful this experience was going to be.

Victoria cleared her throat before speaking. “Dr. Fitz, I understand and I apologize for that. The previous Chief of Staff had the Mayor’s ear, but now that Sitwell has been relieved of his duties, more reasonable aides are finally having their voices heard. As for the other experts in your field, we invited Dr. Jemma Simmons from Colombia, Dr. Anne Weaver from Cornell, and Dr. Franklin Hall from St. John’s.”

Fitz’s jaw dropped when he heard Jemma’s name. He couldn’t believe that she would want anything to do with him after all the times she called his hypotheses rubbish and dismissed the entire field of parapsychology. They hadn’t spoken since their undergraduate day at Harvard seven years ago. Now she wanted to discuss Fitz’s findings?

“Dr. Fitz? Dr. Fitz! Are you there?” Victoria’s voice snapped Fitz back to the present.

“What? Sorry… Umm… Yes, erm… Yes, we’re willing to meet. Can… can you work with Daisy to set all of the details up? I’ll let my team know so we can start preparing,” Fitz mumbled as he handed the phone back to Daisy, who gave him a look of confusion as she put on her oversized reading glasses and started taking notes.

Fitz walked into the back office large enough for three, but crammed with four since Hunter insisted on sitting with the brains of their operations. In reality, each of the four had their own specialties. Mack built their Photon Packs and, with a significant amount of help from Fitz, came up with the idea of the Containment Unit that held all of their captured beings. Trip was the team’s medic and provided Fitz with a sounding board on bio-related issues. Hunter was hired as the team needed another able-bodied person but quickly established himself as a key member of the team by providing comic relief and helping Daisy make sure Fitz didn’t work himself to death.

“So, the Mayor wants to meet with us and a few other experts to come up with techniques for early detection,” Fitz began, stretching the back of his neck before plopping into his desk chair.

Hunter jumped up and clapped his hands together. “Fitz, you absolute beauty! This is what we’ve been waiting for, praise and adoration followed by the Mayor eating humble pie!”

“Yeah, Turbo. This is great news, but why do you look like someone kicked your dog?” Mack said, looking up from the adjustments he was making on a Photon Pack.

“Well, they invited Jemma to the meeting as well.” Fitz leaned back in his chair and stared at the pencils lodged in the ceiling that Hunter threw when he was bored.

The three men looked at each other and walked over to crowd around Fitz’s desk. 

“Fitz, this is your chance to show Jemma that you’re the world’s leading and respected parapsychologist. Didn’t you tell us that if one existed in the world, it would help legitimize your field?” Trip began.

Mack nodded and continued, “Exactly. You’re too classy of a guy to rub it in when you see her, but I’m sure she’ll have all kinds of questions that you can answer easily and cite specific examples from the work we’ve done over the last year.”

“And if there’s one thing birds love is a successful, well-respected man,” Hunter finished.

“Don’t forget, it’ll finally get you out of the office for a change!” Daisy called out from her desk.

Fitz looked at his three friends standing in front of him and realized they were right. His feelings for Jemma came flooding back as soon as she was mentioned. He remembered that he never acted on them because he believed she would never pursue a relationship with someone in a field many believe was a hoax. This was his chance to have a real scientific conversation with Dr. Jemma Simmons and to show that he has made significant breakthroughs in mankind’s understanding of the paranormal and supernatural.

“You’re right. All of you. Even Hunter for a chance,” Fitz said as he stood up and rubbed his hands together. “Well, shall we prepare for our meeting with the Mayor?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. All feedback is good feedback in my eyes.


	4. If You Can Dodge a Wrench, You Can Dodge a Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a Dodgeball!AU which made me laugh from the moment I thought of it until I posted it.

“And if you join Hydra-Gym, you go from a Joe, to a Bro!” Grant Ward’s chiseled face said on the television screen.

Fitz hit the power button on the remote and tossed it onto the couch in his office. As the owner of Fitz’s Power Lifts and Gymnasium, he was constantly trying to come up with new marketing schemes to bring in more members of his fledgling gym. But over the last year, Grand Ward’s Hydra-Gym was poaching his more loyal members. The few that remained were the ones who joined his gym the month it opened. Over time, they became pseudo-employees, eventually becoming full-time employees.

“Hey Fitz!” Mack yelled from the main room in the gym. “We’re going to need a new squat rack. Trip destroyed it on his last set.”

Fitz rubbed the back of his neck as he walked over to inspect the damage. “Shite, I’m glad no one got hurt, and by the looks of it, Trip hit a new personal best.” Trip gave Fitz a cheesy thumbs up. “But we need a few new treadmills and Bobbi has been on me for some new equipment for her kickboxing and self-defense classes.”

“Well how bad’s the cash flow situation?” Mack asked, face showing genuine concern for his roommate and best friend.

Fitz cocked his head to the side as the made a few rough calculations. “The members we have left are good at paying their monthly dues and we’re lucky we bought this warehouse before the developers moved into the area so there isn’t much overhead. But we can’t keep up with Hydra-Gym and their brand new equipment if we keep peddling our Soviet-era equipment. I’m pretty sure Ivan Drago first used this squat rack.”

Trip chuckled and said in his best Russian accent, “I must break you, squat rack. I broke you, squat rack.”

The three were interrupted by the bell attached on the front door jingling. Fitz turned towards the front desk and gestured for Mack and Trip to try and move the broken equipment into the back room.

“Hello? I saw your flyer on campus for student special on a gym membership and wanted to gather more data,” a clipped English accent called from the front desk.

“Right, be with you in a moment,” Fitz replied. When he reached the front desk, all he saw was a set of honey eyes smiling at him. He stumbled before quickly catching himself and dropping himself into chair all in one motion. “Erm. Yes, what can I do to assist you in attaining your fitness goals?” Fitz wanted to roll his eyes at himself at that poorly constructed sentence, but he was totally enamored with the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen.

Surprisingly, the pretty-eyed English girl giggled and gave him a beaming smile. “You’re quite funny. Actually, I saw your flyer and was wondering if there were any catches. A long-term commitment, perhaps?”

Fitz felt his body warm at the giggle and smile and decided he would do anything he could to convince this girl to join his gym. “No catches. I just hope you wouldn’t leave us for that ostentatious monolith of opulence known as Hydra-Gym.”

The pretty-eyed English girl rolled her eyes. “That place makes me self-conscious about my body. Everyone there is beautiful and extremely fit and I feel out of place. I wanted to find a gym where I could work on what I needed and ask advice from some of the more experienced fitness experts. Oh, looks like you have some working out now.”

“Yeah, Mack and Trip have been here since I opened the gym. We also have Bobbi who teaches kickboxing and self-defense classes and Daisy who is our yoga and spinster.” The pretty-eyed English girl giggled at Fitz’s pun and smiled even bigger. “Besides, I can’t imagine someone as beautiful as you being out of place at Hydra-Gym.” Fitz’s eyes opened so wide, he thought they would pop out as he realized what he blurted out. Luckily for him, the pretty-eyed English girl blushed and giggled even more.

“You’re sweet, Mr…?”

“Oh, Fitz. Just Fitz. Actually, it’s Leo Fitz, not Just Fitz, but you can just call me Fitz,” Fitz managed to say.

“Well, Fitz. It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Jemma Simmons,” the pretty-eyed English girl said as she shook Fitz’s hand. “Now your flyer mentions a monthly fee or an equitable service in exchange for joining. 

Have you any need for a marketing executive who is seeking her Masters in Business Development and Public Events?”

“You know, Jemma. I believe we could use someone with your expertise. Any thoughts on how we could really take it to Hydra-Gym?” Fitz said with a smirk. “I’d really like to take it to Ward and win my members back.”

It was Jemma’s turn to smirk. “Ever thought about challenging them to sport? If it gets enough press, it could be free advertising. And if you won, it could mean winning your old members back while bringing in new business.”

“Oi! We don’t stand a change! Look at those guys Ward has. I mean Mack, Trip, and Bobbi can take anyone, and I mean anyone. But we would need a few more like them to take them on in most any sport!” Fitz complained.

Jemma placed a hand on Fitz’s shoulder. “Oh, Fitzy boy. Today is your lucky day. Have you heard of the American Dodgeball Association of America’s Dodgeball World Championship Tournament of Dodgeball?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think or just leave some love!


	5. Fitz and the Tantrums

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Fitz were the Fitz from Fitz and the Tantrums?
> 
> This is so dumb, but I don't care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while, but I have some pretty decent ideas I'll be writing about over the next few weeks. Hope you like it!

“Hey Simmons, I can make your hands clap,” Fitz smirked from his perch on the kitchen counter.

Jemma stopped stirring and looked up from the pot of her homemade Bolognese sauce. “What was that, Fitz?”

“Said I can make your hands clap.” Fitz crossed his arms while holding his smirk.

“What are you bloody talking about?” Jemma asked, rolling her eyes before adding the tomato puree into the pot. “Besides, you begged me to make Ragu alla Bolognese for your birthday. So, I suggest you speak like a normal human being or I might cock this sauce up.”

Fitz’s smirk quickly transformed into a frown. “Simmons, you better not cock up that sauce or else…” Fitz began.

“Or else you’ll throw a tantrum?” Jemma finished, wearing a smirk of her own.

“Oi! Fitzy, throw me another beer, will ya mate?” Hunter called, walking into the kitchen. Noticing the standoff between Fitz and Jemma, Hunter asked, “Ello, what’s all this, then? A lovers’ quarrel, is it?”

Jemma threw a dishtowel at Hunter, which he caught easily. She turned back towards her sauce and said matter-of-factly, “Oh, Fitz was going on and on about nothing before he threatened to throw a tantrum if I cocked up the sauce. Honestly, Fitz and his tantrums.”

Hunter started to open a beer that Fitz had tossed to him when he looked up at Jemma. “What was that last part you said, love?”

Jemma turned around with a confused look on her face. “What? The part about Fitz and his tantrums?”

Hunter opened his beer, which sprayed all over his shirt, and ran to the sink to deposit the offending can. “Oh bloody hell! Fitz! Remember how we’ve been trying to come up with a name for the band? Jemma figured it out for us! Since you’re the lead singer and founder of the band, so what do you think about Fitz and the Tantrums?”

Fitz, who had been laughing at Hunter’s losing battle with the beer can, froze and his mouth dropped in surprise to Hunter’s suggestion. After blinking a few times and regaining his focus, his smirk reappeared as he turned towards Jemma. “So, can I get a handclap?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love it? Hate it? Let me know your thoughts!!


	6. One is the Loneliest Number

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz's birthday without Simmons? Uh-Oh...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little less Fitzsimmons and a bit more Skitz. I like how Daisy and Fitz have such a deep love for each other, and in another time and place, these two may even explore this friendship a bit more.
> 
> Also, I'm on tumblr as thesouthernboy. I decided to join after seeing so many of y'all put some great work, insights, and support for each other when it comes to AOS. I hope to get involved with the community, but for now, I'm content with watching you pros do some great work. Hope y'all enjoy this latest ficlet!

Fitz sat on his bed, saying his goodbyes and thank yous to his mum and sister for the birthday wishes and packages that arrived that morning. He waved at his smiling family, and crying mum, as they signed off of Skype and placed his computer back on the desk next to his bed. He laid down with a smile, already content that this day, his 24th birthday was the best ever. He wanted to text Simmons to see what she was up to, surely she'd want to spend a little bit of time with him on a Saturday, much less his birthday, but decided against it for the moment. He walked into his bathroom to shower with a spring in his step and a smile on his face,

A few hours had passed and he still hadn't heard from Simmons. He tried to push the negative thoughts out of his mind, but he wondered if Simmons forgot that today was his birthday. 'Impossible,' he reasoned with himself. 'Her calendar is more organized and detailed than Heathrow's flight schedule.' He still worried that his best friend had forgotten. Or worse, didn't care. Fitz felt the old wounds opening up from his childhood. The loneliness. The betrayals. If it weren't for his sister, Amanda, he wouldn't have had anyone his own age to talk to. She made him feel special. Much the same way Simmons did, but different. His mum worked very hard at her teashop to provide for the three of them, but without his sister, he may not have survived those difficult formative years.

Fitz turned on the telly to a football match he recorded. At least he could watch his beloved Rangers beat up on Celtic in the Old Firm Derby and forget about everything for 90 minutes (plus stoppage time, of course). After the match (a nail biting Rangers win thanks to an injury time winner), he placed one of the Meat and Ale pies his mum sent as part of his birthday package into the oven and cracked open a beer. It was suppertime and no word from Simmons. He received several texts from his Sci-Ops and Academy friends with plans to meet up the following Friday for a belated get together. Fitz was famous for wanting to spend his birthdays alone (with Simmons) with pies and beers. The celebrations always occurred afterwards. 

He sighed as he sipped the Scottish ale, a gift from Mack, as he checked on the browning pie. He smiled to himself as he remembered watching his mum and sister making pies the night before he left for  
MIT, the last night Fitz knew he would live at home. He could tell his mum and sister were sad, but they tried to keep the evening lively and fun. They stayed up much later than they should have, savouring their final night together under one roof before hugging each other before bed. That is why Fitz always asked for meat pies for his birthday; it was a delicious reminder of the love he shared with his family.

Fitz grabbed an oven mitt and pulled the baking pan out of the oven. He placed the piping hot pie onto a plate and brought his food and drink to the couch to settle in for the evening. As he tucked into his food, his phone beeped with a text from Daisy, his sister from another mister, as she eloquently referred herself to everyone they meet.

Daisy: Fitzy! I waited until now to wish you a happy birthday because I know how you get before your sacred meat pies and ales. Happy Birthday!

Fitz: Haha! It's only because me mum's pies are so good. I wait as long as I can to eat them.

Daisy: Yeah, I’d probably eat them as soon as I woke up, like donuts. Oh man, I want donuts now. Thanks, Fitz. I blame you and love you at the same time. How’s Simmons? Did she give you a special gift? Maybe some Tu-lips?

Fitz: I blame you and love you, too. And uh, I don't know where she is. I haven’t heard from her all day. But I haven’t texted her either, you know.

Daisy: ARE YOU KIDDING? How is she not there?! She's the only one who you even let into your apartment on your birthday! Not even me!

Fitz: Yeah, well. She's probably busy with something. Not a big deal.

Daisy: Seriously, if you want me to come over to be your Simmons stand-in, call me. I can pretend to like Doctor Who and eat junk food for a few hours.

Fitz: Thanks, but I'm fine. I'm sure I'll hear from Simmons soon.

Fitz glanced at his phone several times over the next hour, becoming less and less hopeful with each look. The realization that Simmons forgot his birthday slowly spread throughout his body in the form of a chill down his spine followed by the dread from his old companion, rejection. Fitz knew all too well the pang of rejection, how it would pierce his heart and punch his gut at the same time. He hadn't felt it in quite a while, since he was paired up with Simmons at the Academy, but he remembered how debilitating it could be. 

As the clock on his phone shifted from Saturday to Sunday without any contact from Simmons, he allowed his mind to slowly descend into his dark place. He left his dirty dishes and empty beer bottles on his coffee table and headed to bed, hoping sleep would help him forget this horrible feeling, even for a few short hours. But he found sleep impossible as his mind was working through various scenarios for what he did wrong, what he did to offend Simmons.

Fitz finally gave into sleep early in the morning, but it was restless sleep. He felt the cold, wet spots on his pillow left over from his silent tears when he woke with the first signs of morning shining through his bedroom window. Ignoring the exhaustion permeating through his body, he climbed out of bed and slowly made his way into his living room, stopping to pick up the remains from the night before off  
his coffee table.

Fitz sighed as he filled his kettle and placed it on the stove. He went through his tea ritual as his mum taught him and took his steaming mug of English Breakfast back to his couch. The familiar scent of his tea along with the warmth from the soothing liquid only slightly cured the Simmons-sized hole in his heart. In his younger years, Fitz experienced a few painful moments inflicted by others and those wounds had hardened his heart. But right now, he willed himself to not react the same to Simmons or at least until she provided a reasonable explanation.

Fitz watched reruns of "Nova" on PBS for most of the morning until he was interrupted by knocking at his door. He turned the telly off and walked towards the door.

"Fitz?" Fitz froze at the sound of Simmons's voice through the door. "Fitz! I have great news! I just left Milton's flat. Can you believe it? He asked me out yesterday when we ran into each other at our favourite tea shop and our date went so well, we ended up back at his place!"

Fitz felt his heart break and then harden. His temper flared, and he opened his mouth to yell obscenities at her through his door about how ridiculous Milton was and how his cabbaged-sized head was no match for her vastly superior intellect when he stopped himself. 'What's the point? Milton is exactly the type of guy Simmons dates,' Fitz told himself. 'I could never match up to the models she swoons over. Even if I had a chance, I missed it. I'll always come in second.'

Simmons knocked again. "Fitz? Are you there? You're usually up watching telly by now on a Sunday. Is everything alright?"

He shook his head at himself and walked away from the door towards his bedroom. He quietly closed the door and laid down on his bed right as the silent tears made their way back to his pillow. He barely  
heard Simmons's third and fourth rounds of knocking before she gave up and left. The pain of rejection and self-doubt shot through him like white-hot flame, forcing him to shake uncontrollably.

His phone on his nightstand buzzed with a text from Daisy asking him to call her. He assumed Simmons had texted Daisy asking where he was and knowing Daisy, she feigned any knowledge of his whereabouts. Fitz let himself stay in bed for most of the day, silently cursing himself for letting the charms of one Jemma Simmons break down all of the walls he put up to prevent him from feeling this awful pain again. When he finally reached for his phone and called Daisy, he couldn't speak. But Daisy heard one sniff from Fitz and told him she was on her way.

Daisy let herself in with the emergency key she made one day after stealing Fitz's keyring. She rationalized her ownership of the emergency key by telling a confused Fitz, "look, you're always with Simmons. What if you both get locked out? What good would it do if she had the emergency key and left it in said locked apartment? It should be someone another degree of separation away from you, Fitzy."

"Fitz?" Daisy called out as she walked onto his bedroom ten minutes later. "What happened?"

Fitz made room for Daisy as she laid next to him on his bed. Daisy reached over to wipe the tears off his face, her own eyes shining with unshed tears of sympathy. "MiIton," Fitz chocked out. "Simmons and Milton."

Daisy sighed and stroked Fitz's cheek, hoping it would help calm him down. She knew from the moment Simmons texted her wondering where Fitz was that the worst had happened.

"I'm sorry, Fitz. I really am. I wish I knew what to say to make it all better," she whispered, still stroking his cheek.

“You're making it better by being here with me," he replied. “You're the best friend I've ever had."

Tears began to fall from Daisy's eyes upon hearing Fitz's painful admission. "Don't say that! You and Simmons were made for each other."

Fitz shook his head. "No, it's true, Daisy. You'd never make me feel inadequate. You always treat me like I'm the most important person in the world."

"That's because you are," Daisy replied, cupping his cheek. "Don't ever let anyone feel like you aren’t."

“Yeah?” Fitz asked, the slightest hint of a smile forming on his tear stained face.

Daisy beamed at him, her fingers traced up and down his jaw line. “Of course!”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, lingering a little longer than one would for a truly plutonic kiss. "That's your birthday kiss. A day late, but still a birthday kiss, nonetheless."

"Thanks, Daisy," Fitz said as he touched the burning spot on cheek where her lips had been. “You're the best. Now what do I do with Simmons?"

"The question is what do you want? Once you figure that out, then you'll know what to do. Now come on. Get up and get dressed. I'm taking you out for pizza and beer." Daisy sat up and pretended to struggle to drag Fitz out of bed.

"Oi! I'm up! I'm up!" Fitz chuckled, letting his accent thicken more than usual in response to Daisy's antics. "And Daisy? Thanks."

Daisy smiled back at Fitz and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. 

"Anything for you, Fitz. I just hope you realize someday that you can have anything you want. Especially, what's right in front of you."

Fitz hugged Daisy back and breathed in the familiar soft floral scent of her hair. It always seemed to relax him, but he was somewhat distracted by her words. Fitz was about to ask what she meant by her last comment when Daisy abruptly broke away and dragged him by the arm to the front door. "Pizza. Beer. Now."

He was successful in grabbing his wallet and house keys from the table next to his front door but didn't mind that he left his phone laying on his bed. Right now, his best friend was taking him out for his birthday, and for the next few hours, nothing else mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Or if you want to see more of these two!


	7. The Super

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As soon as Fitz's apartment door shut, Jemma looked a Daisy with a horrified look and asked, "How bad?"
> 
> Daisy gave a supporting smile and simply said, "You've said worse."
> 
> Jemma's head dropped as everyone chuckled and got back to moving the rest of the girls' belongings into the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm considering adding to this. Let me know your thoughts!

Fitz took a step back to admire his handiwork in the empty apartment. Two new tenants were scheduled to move in on Saturday, and Fitz took the day to add a fresh coat of paint on the walls and test out every door hinge and faucet for any minor maintenance that may be required. The work was monotonous, yet satisfying, a significant change from his prior line of work. But he promised his mum he would try to find a job that kept him out of harm's way. Something less reckless than what he did in his 20's.

As he left the apartment and locked it up, he hoped the new tenants were more responsible than the previous tenant who operated an illegal drug dispensary from the living room. It took Fitz a few months to dig into the guy and the organization he worked for, but he was able to provide the authorities with a significant amount of evidence to indict not only the tenant, but several operatives higher up in the Hydra drug cartel. All anonymously, of course.

After he shut off the lights and locked the door, he walked across the hall to his apartment. All units in the building were the same size with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but units were mirrored across the hall from each other. One nice feature of the building was the courtyard in the center that allowed natural light to a bedroom and the living room of each unit. Fitz could see just about every unit opposite of his which comes in handy if he needed to keep an eye out for any unscrupulous activity. Luckily, May was very good at screening applicants for open units, but as Fitz learned too many times, one could never be too careful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jemma and Daisy couldn't help but squeal in excitement when they walked into their new apartment. They set down their first boxes in the middle of their dining area and looked around, wide eyed. Daisy would point to a wall where a piece of art she had would fit perfectly while Jemma smiled in awe at the kitchen and its ample counter space, already planning her first baked good in their new home.

Mack and Trip walked in with a couch and Daisy directed it to their living room.

Trip whistled in approval. "Dang, girl. This place is pretty sweet. How'd you snag a pad like this?"

Daisy playfully punched Trip in the arm. "Jemma knows the owner of the building from her gym. Said something about the perfect building for two strong, independent yuppies without breaking the bank. If you ask me, Jemma turned on the English charm and won him over."

"Her, Daisy. May is a woman. And she teaches the self-defense class I go every Wednesday morning. It took months, but I finally got her to say more than 'Simmons' outside of class. She really is a softie once you get to know her," Jemma said from the kitchen.

Mack walked back into the apartment with another box labeled "Towels" and made a show of dropping it on the floor. "Daisy, how can a box of towels weigh so much?" he groaned.

"Oh come on, Mack. It's just towels, see?" Daisy said as she opened the box. The box tipped over and a large lamp rolled out onto the floor. Simmons giggled at Daisy's surprised and apologetic expression and soon all four were laughing until tears rolled down their faces.

Fitz walked up to his apartment and heard laughter from across the hall and deduced the source was his new tenants/neighbors. He knocked on the open door and all four turned toward him.

"Hullo! My name is Fitz, and I'm the building Super. I wanted to pop in and tell you that if you need anything, I'm just across the hall. You can also call me anytime," Fitz introduced himself and pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

Daisy smiled and winked at Jemma in a manner where no one else could see and gestured Fitz in. "Hey, Fitz! I'm Daisy and this here is my roommate, Jemma. That's Trip and Mack who are our friends helping us move in."

Trip smirked at Daisy. "Girl, you know I'm more than just a friend."

Daisy ignored Trip and continued, "It is nice to meet you, Fitz. Maybe you'd like to come over for our house warming once we get settled? I think it's only fair we get to know you better since we're neighbors at all."

Daisy looked over Jemma, who had been quiet the entire time, and made a slight gesture towards Fitz with her head. Jemma jumped and rushed to speak up. "Yes! Especially since you'd most likely be here when we aren't if you had to fix something. We wouldn't want to find you snooping through our unmentionables."

Fitz was taken aback, shocking himself since he was trained to be as even keeled as possible. Daisy face palmed herself while Mack shook his head and Trip smiled like a Cheshire Cat at Jemma's outburst. Realization hit Jemma like a thousand punches to her gut and her face quickly turned beet red.

"Right! Yes, I'd love to come to your house warming, and I agree you should get to know and trust me since I may be here when you aren't. I'll let you get back to moving but let me know if you need anything." Fitz waved and quickly walked into his apartment.

As soon as Fitz's apartment door shut, Jemma looked a Daisy with a horrified look and asked, "How bad?"

Daisy gave a supporting smile and simply said, "You've said worse."

Jemma's head dropped as everyone chuckled and got back to moving the rest of the girls' belongings into the apartment.


End file.
